Nightfall

Jude called out to me. His silver tongue at work, and as always, made me feel as if I was the bad guy.

“All we want is to go home!” he cried desperately. I turned around and watched as Lana glared at me while Bart kept massaging his arm.

“This isn’t the way,” I said pointing to the lights far off in the distance. “Do you even know if the hanger would be open? Usually, ships are kept under high security.”

Jude had an angry flush making him light up in this darkness. “What would you know?”

I gritted my teeth and counted to ten talking myself out of jumping the snake.

Bart scoffed.”Jude, he’s worked in hangers before. Let him talk.”

I nodded again grateful for my cousin. I owed him. “Exactly, and you don’t just walk up to one unannounced. I was doing my job. I fixed part of the main frame today. It won’t take me even a week to fix this satellite, Jude. You can wait a few more days, that is, if the deal isn’t screwed over by your stunt.”

Jude frowned and tucked his lip into his teeth. “You can fix it that fast? Even for you, that’s a stretch.”

“The satellite’s not as damaged as I thought. I can do it in less than a week. You guys need to have more…”

Thud!

Jude turned around. “What was that?”

“I don’t know,” I said, reaching for my gun and grabbing air. My eyes widened, and I took a step back.

“Everyone, run back towards the light on the count of three. One…” I began.

Jude took off running and whatever was in the shadows took off after him. It buzzed over our heads and took off after Jude’s long strides. I tried to keep Bart and Lana together but she went off in a different direction after hauling me like a meat shield in front of whatever this was. Bart closed in on me and shook. He held the only weapon around, a crowbar. A freaking crowbar. Up ahead I heard the sharp tat tat tat of a gun go off and realized Jude had taken the only weapon against these things.

“Bart. Don’t panic. The minute you do it’s over,” I whispered watching as we were ringed by dark shadows. “Hand me the crowbar.”

“G-get your own weapon!” Bart said swinging at the things wildly. The buzzing increased.

“Y-you a-are o-only a-annoying them! T-there’s a-a g-good ch-chance they m-might l-let u-us g-go i-if w-we cooperate,” I said, wanting to smack myself for stuttering again. I was supposed to set an example.

“We’ll be their food!” cried Bart almost keeling over and I pinched the bridge of my nose before snatching the crowbar out of his arms. I gripped it tightly and faced the first shadow. Something wasn’t right tho. The buzzing was gone. Instead, a hissing had taken over, and then a wolf cry.

“AOOO!”

The shadows of darkness stretched to cover the creature, but a hint of light caught the yellow coloring of a carapace. Attached were thin wings of a thin mucus membrane. The mouth was like a mosquito’s or fly’s and it had bulbous bee-like eyes. A white timber wolf barreled into the nearest bug thing. It straightened out and its yellow eyes glowed eerily. Standing it became anthropomorphic. I knew Andromeda was in that suite somewhere. She slashed her claws into the nearest bug knocking it down and giving us an out. I backed Bart up and slowly rounded him toward the light spilling in front of us. Jude had gone silent and I prayed that was because he had been rescued.

As I got there I found Tarric in battle with one of the other creatures, Jude behind him. Tarric was using trench knives as claws. Slipping into the creature’s guard, he slashed down making the creature writhe. Innards spilled from the creature’s side burning the black grass below like acid. Jude saw me and hurried my way.

Together the three of us walked the distance to the entrance. A few feet away. It was blocked by a huge creature the likes I’d never seen. It was slimy with a black carapace, and spindly legs reminiscent of spiders, but itself resembled a centipede, with a bushel of black Sakura’s growing out of its tiny head. It was salivating at finding weak prey…us.

“Jude, the gun,” I muttered, hand outstretched, backing away from it slowly, never giving my back. Jude slowly took out the gun and aimed. I raked back my hair. There was no changing Jude.

“Aim for his belly,” I whispered, getting the crowbar ready, Instead he turned his gun on me.

“Matt, you follow me to the hanger. Bart follow if you want. I have a plan.”

“No Jude. I won’t..” he cocked the gun in my face and I sighed. “Get that out of my face before I disarm you, Jude. I’ll give you three seconds.”

“One..”

“You leave me no choice!” Jude screamed before aiming at Bart.

My eyes widened then narrowed. Jude had lost it. “Fine! I’ll come with you. Let’s go.”

Jude smiled smugly and pointed the gun back at me hurrying me in the direction of the hanger. I followed him and Bart followed me scared of Jude. As soon as we were far enough away, I’d turn the tables and leave Jude for the creatures of this planet. I was through being nice. We hurried through the chilly darkness, the cacophony of distant animals, none of which I knew the names of, could be heard around us. Then came the buzzing again. This time we were too far from any help.